Nana’s Perfect Cut Out Sugar Cookies

The best cut out sugar cookie recipe comes from my Nana! Perfect balance of soft and crispy, and not too sweet so you can decorate with icing and sprinkles!

Could there be any more classic Christmas cookie than a sugar cookie? I think not.

I have been indulging in sugar cookies since my mom let me get my little hands on them.

We have talked about my nana’s amazing baking skills once or twice, but today, I finally bring you her cream of the crop recipe. There is not only family gathering, party or dinner soiree without sugar cookies crossing the dessert table. And as today is my Nana’s birthday, I can not think of any other way to celebrate her than sharing my favorite recipe of hers!

Isn’t my Nana the cutest?! Happy Birthday!

Funny story about this sugar cookies actually. My cousins and I grew up much like best friends, rather than cousins. We were all around the same age which made it very easy for us to get lost for hours in the basement of our house playing made up games like Mad Dog. Don’t ask.

We had a simple rule. You don’t go get the parents unless you were bleeding. We were serious about our games. We were light years ahead of Hunger Games.

Back to the sugar cookies though. One Fourth of July, it was dinner time and my brother and my cousin Paul, decided a corn eating contest was necessary. Sixteen ears of corn later, they were both rolling around the yard with stomach aches. As they had already downed a few sodas, couple handfuls of Fritos, and unlimited hot dogs. This prompted my cousin Angela and I to join in. Except the corn we swapped for sugar cookies. More our style.

If you can guess, this went over not so well. A few dozen cookies later, we following in their footsteps and were rolling around with stomach aches complaining to why we ever thought that was a good idea. Oh to have the mind of an eight year old again.

Now I am not telling you to not indulge in endless amounts of sugar cookies this holiday season, but I will assure you will not be able to stop at one.

They are the perfect dough to make cut out sugar cookies for decorating as you can reroll the dough out as many times as you wish and no chilling is needed. The all butter dough makes them perfectly tender yet with enough body to hold them together and not crumble in your fingers.

The dough comes together quickly and freezes like a dream. Which reminds me, I have some leftover dough in my freezer.

Excuse me while I go reminisce on my eight year old self with a solo sugar cookie eating contest!

meal prep tips:

this dough freezes wonderfully, so you can double the batch and freeze. Or prepare half the dough and freeze the rest! When ready to make, remove the dough from the freezer and let thaw, either in the fridge or on the counter.

you can make these cookies ahead of time, then frost the day or day before serving. they hold so well in a sealed container!

To roll out, lightly flour your surface or a tea towel. Add dough and slightly knead some flour from the surface into the dough. Create a uniform ball then using a rolling pin, roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter dipped in flour, cut shapes out. Repeat the rolling process until all the dough is used.

Lay the cookies onto a cookie sheet.

Add cookies to preheated oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Then move from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Reader Interactions

Comments

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA! Man you sounded like fun as a kid! I could totally win at a corn eating contest.....that shiz my jam! We never had eating contest, but we did stuff our face with marshmallows to see who get get the most in their mouth at once :D

Oh my goodness Megan your nana is adorable.. I love that dress on her and your wedding dress ... of course! But these sugar cookies look amazing! I can't wait to make some this year with Cason! Pretty sure they aren't going to be as gorgeous as yours but thats what fun about cut out cookies... you can be creative. :)

Oh well thank you!! And trust me...this was a fluke for them to turn out pretty! Usually they look like something my niece did! But hey, they were still tasty! And I hope you and Cason have a fun time decorating and eating them ;) Thanks lovely!

What is it about Nanas and sugar cookies? My children's grandmother - their Nana - loves making them sugar cookies and decorating them to the nines. Love that these cookies have such a great story behind them!

Bahaha - I was taste-testing batches of cookies last night and by about the 4th cookie, I wanted to roll around with a stomach ache - I guess I don't have ANY endurance. Your Nana is SO cute and these sugar cookies look so tasty. I might try to eat a couple dozen (or at least a few scoops of that cookie dough:).

Megan - What a lovely story and a sweet gift for your Nana. The photo of the two of you is priceless. The recipe is grand, especially because of the incredibly touching memories that surround it. Thanks for stopping by our Happy Holidays Link Party - be sure to join us again this week, beginning on Saturday at 7 pm ET.

I AM a nana and I love this recipe! I made cookies with 1/2 the dough but froze the other half, very convenient by the way. This will be the first Christmas in 7 years that our family will be together and now I have 3 grandchildren! I have been looking forward to making cookies with grandchildren since my children left home, many years ago. I am so glad you posted this recipe because it is perfect!

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Hi There!

I'm Megan! A wife, mama and have a serious love of nutritious, time-saving meals with a knack for meal prep hacks. I crave simple, wholesome and balanced meals with a bit of humor on the side! Welcome to my kitchen. Read More…